Govt’s ‘dubious’ N$50m fish spree

• By Hilary Mare and Rosalia David

GOVERNMENT through Fishcor has dished out 14 000mt of fishing quotas worth approximately N$50 million locally in trying to secure employment for nearly 600 former Seaflower employees with Tunacor having been given 4 000mt worth over N$12 million late in 2020 and Venmar getting 10 000mt worth over N$32 million, between April and December 2021.

The value of this fish balloons to N$196 million before operating costs when sold to lucrative regional and international markets where horse mackerel is being sold at N$14 per kilogramme, Confidente has established.

The workers were left in limbo when Fishcor retracted its agreement in Seaflower Pelagic Processing, where they were employed, citing an unfair and unbalanced marriage. 

Confidente has been reliably informed that Tunacor, a company owned by influential politicians initially absorbed the workers on the pretence that their factory would be able to absorb them all only to employ 42 workers while paying others to sit at home.

Read the full story in this week’s edition.